Machine for closing bottles



Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,556

- R. ,1. SMITH MACHINE FOR CLOSING BOTTLBS Filed April 15, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 /4 7 EUCECI Wasselzf 57721-27 Jan. 31, 1928. 1,657,556

' R..L SNHTP! MACHINE FOR CLOSING BOTTLES Filed Afim is, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 31, 1928. Y 1,657,555

R. J. SMITH IACHINE FOB CLbSING BOTTLES Filed April 15, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheo't 5 Illlllllllllll mu 1 Malawi/*4 "In j m Jan. 31, 1928. 1,557,555

R. J. SMITH lmcnms run cLosIne son-55s Filed April 15. 1925 v 4 he s-Sheet 4 765.56%! .Smil'k 3 Q Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

\UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

-- RUSSELL J. smirn, or mnnasrm, WISCONSIN.

MACHINE FOR CLOSTNG FOTTLES.

Application filed April 15, 1925. Serial No. 23,227.

This invention is an automatic machine for applying paper closures to bottles-- specifically for applying thc'closure shown,

described and claimed in companion. application, Serial Number 20,386, filedApril 3,

The closure of said 'prior application,

shown in Figure 8 of the drawings, is, gen- I machine being comparatively cheaply con-.

structable; easily operable and not readily liable to get out of order.

More particularly, the invention consists in the numerous features and details of construction which will be hereafter more fully set forth in the specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals represent the same parts throughout the several views: 3o

ing this invention in its preferred form.

Figure'2 is a side View, said parts being shown in section, taken on the irregular line 22 of F igure 1.

Figure 3 is a'side View, certain parts being shown in'section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view taken on the irregular line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged, rear, detail View of the paper feeding mechanism of Figures 1 and 4.

Figure 6 is a side view of the mechanism of Figure 5, certain parts in section taken from the right hand side of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating the paper gripping jaws and attached parts, the jaws themselves being in open position.

Figure 8 shows a bottle with a closure previously applied thereto by the mechanism of this invention.

Figure 9 1s a central, detail View through as the paper gripping mechanism of Figure 7 ing on the floor.

shown in detail.

Figure -l is a side elevation quite largely in section, showing the mechanism illustratwith the parts in the position intermediate between that of Figures 7 and 10.

Figure 10. shows the mechanism of Figure 9 in the final position assumed by the parts in applying the'paper closure .to the bottle.

Figures 11 and 12 are plan views largely in section on'the correspondingly numbered lines of Figure 1 0.

The mechanism of this invention is supportedata proper height above the floor or the like by a general frame 14 carried by supporting legs 16, not shown in detail, restthe lowerportion of the frame in a recess 18 therein, within which most of the working parts of the device are located, is a table 20 across which travels a bottle moving conveyer belt 22 of conventional form, actuated in any suitable manner for thepurpose of conveying bottles from points outside themachine to the position shown in the drawings in which the capping or closing opera- Suitably secured across tion is carried on and thereafter conveying the capped bottle away. This belt does not specifically enter into the invention and being of absolutely conventional form is not In the particular case here illustrated. this belt 22 travels within a recess 24 provided for it in the top of table 20. Rising from table 20 at one side thereof, as viewed in Figure 1, and at approximately the table center, as viewed in Fig ure 2, are two adjacent shaft holding blocks 25- and 26. Rotatably journaled in block 25 is the. lower end of the comparatively long shaft 28, while block 26 is entered by a much shorter shaft 30, rigidly secured in position by any suitable means, as, for instance. set screw 32 entering the side of block 26. Mounted on shafts 28 and 30 are the bearings 34 of a yoke 36, enclosing intermeshing segmental gears 37 and 38, the hub 40 of gear 37 being detachably secured to shaft 28 by any suitable means, as, for instance. set screw 42,-while the corresponding hub of gear 38 rotates on shaft 30. Shaft 28 rotates freely in the hubs 34 which enclose it, while shaft 30. 'is 'detachably secured to yoke 36 by any suitable means, as, for instance, the set screw 44, carried by a hub 34 which encloses said shaft. By loosening said screws 42 and 44, the yoke, the segmental gears 37 and 38 and parts hereafter described. carried by them, can be moved vertically along shafts 28 and 30 and re-secured in selected new vertical positions on re-tightening these bolts.

Rigidly secured to the hub of each segmental gear 37 and 38 and controlled by the movement of its said gear is a bottle neck gripping arm 46. These arms are swingable between the full line positions of Figs. 1, 2 and 4, and the dotted line position of Figure 4:in the former position, gripping the neck 48 of a bottle 50 to position and hold it in correct operative relation to the capping mechanism while the closing or capping material is being placed over its neck opening and during initiation of the actual closing or capping operation; and, in the latter position, entirely clearing the path of travel of a bottle 50 as it is transported by belt 22 into or out of the position where the bottle capping operation takes place. Supported from and above each of these arms 46 is an electrically energized heating pad 52 adapted in. the closed positions of the arms, as shown in Figure l, to register with the extreme upper end of the bottle neck so that a piece 54 of closure paper 56, supplied from a roll 58, resting over the top of the bottle 50, is heated by said electric pads sufficiently to soften the parafiine or othenwax on the under side of said piece 54 of paper and thus permit it to adhere to the bottle neck and to overlaping portions of the piece of paper when olded as shown in Figure 8. These electric pads 52 are supplied with electric current from any suitable source and in any Suitable manner notentering into this invention and therefore not shown in detail, said electricity being applied through terminals or other suitable means provided for the purpose.

The segmental gears 37 and 38 may be ac tuated to move arms 46 between the ositions described by any suitable conventlonal mechanism. In the articular case here illustrated, it is done y journalling the upper end of shaft 28 in the bracket 62 and mounting on the upper end of the shaft a lever arm 64 carrying a roller 66 traveling in a suitably shaped cam 68 circumferentially disposed on a wheel 70, rigidly secured to the main ower shaft 72 of the machine, said shaft eing journaled in suitable bearings 74 carried in the upper portion of frame 14, power being applied to 'said shaft by any conventional means, as,

for instance, pulley 76 and a belt 78 leading away to any suitable source of power not shown. Cam 68 is so constructed and proportioned that at each complete revolution of shaft 72, the bottle engaging arms 46 will be opened a sufficient length of time 'for the belt 42 to bring a bottle 50 to capping position :-the arms 46 will then be closed long enough to permit starting the capping epmamas oration, as hereafter described, and the arms will .then be opened a sufficient further length of time to permit the capped bottle to be carried away by the belt 22 while a new bottle is being brought to capping position.

Shaft 72 also carries a cam wheel 80, having on one side face, best seen in Figure 3, a cam track 82, in which travels a roller 84, carried between the ends of a lever 86, one of whose ends rocks on a stationary pivot 88 located on a rigid bracket arm 90 extending from one side of the frame 14. On the other end of'lever 86 is a pivot pin 02 can rying a depending connecting rod 94, preferably but not necessarily selectively extensible by any conventional means, in the par ticular case here illustrated, by the device shown in Figure 3 in which a set screw 96 detachably engages a rod 94, sliding inside an axial recess in the lower end of rod 94 proper. The lower end of connecting rod 94 engages the crank pin 98 carried near the circumference of a segmental gear 100 rigid on a shaft 102 suitably journaled in the upper portion of a vertically adjustable frame 104, carrying the paper cut off shear and paper feed rollers.

The shear mechanism just referred to includes a lower shear member 106 rigidly secured to frame 104 and a vertically reciprocal upper shear member 108, suitably guided for vertical reciprocation with reference to feed frame 104 by any suitable means, as, for instance, projecting fingers 110 sliding upon smooth guide surfaces 112 on the face of the frame. Upper shear memher 108 is rigid upon the lower end of a vertically reciprocal rod 114, the rod and shear being normally held in elevated position by a compression spring 116 located, as shown in Figure 1, between the collar 118 rigid on rod 114 and the lower jaw 120 of a U-shaped member 122 on the bracket whose upper jaw 124 limits the upward movement of collar 0 118, the rod 114 reciprocating freely through jaw members 120 and 124; this rod 114 and consequently the upper shear member is driven downward against the action of spring 116 whenever the upper end of rod 114 is struck by a hammer lever126 rigid on shaft 102 and actuated by the rocking motion of segmental gear 100 under the control of cum track 82 more fully detailed hereafter.

For the purposes of the mechanism just described, segmental gear 100 actuates shaft 102 and consequently hammer lever 126. Gear 100 carries circumferential gear teeth meshing with'apinion 128 on a shaft 130 suitably journaled in the frame 104 above and across the path of travel of aper 56 toward the top of the bottle 50 whic is to be sealed. Integral with pinion 128 is a ratchet wheel 132 immediately adjacent to a. ratchet loo arm, 134 keyed, as shown in Figure 6, to shaft 130 and carrying a conventional form of ratchetdog 136 urged by a spring 138 into engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel 132.

Rigidly secured to shaft 130 in proximity naled in a bearing 144 formed in the lower .142 will, at the part of frame 104. These'rollers 140 and 142 are operatively connected together at the end of frame 104 which is away from gears and 128 through intermeshin-g gears 146 and 148, the former on shaft 130, the latter on shaft 150, which carries roller 142. These rollers and 142 drivingly engage paper 56 whichpasses between them and the paper is fed forward from roll 58 between these rollers140 and 142 whenever the upward pull of connecting rod 94 on segmental gear 100 causes gear 128 and consequently roller 140 to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 (a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 5), during which motion ratchet dog 136 is'engaged by the teeth onratchet'wheel 132 thereby driving the. ro1l 140 and consequently the roll 142. Whenever the connecting rod 94 moves in the opposite direction, viz: downward, the ratchet dog 136 clicks idly over the teeth of rotating ratchet wheel 132 and the rollers 140 and 142 remain at rest; I

Cam track 82 is so shaped, proportioned and adjusted with reference to cam track 68, heretofore described, that on a complete revolution of shaft 72, the rollers 140 and roper time with reference to the delivery of lation between jaws 46, feed a proper quantity of paper 56- over the top of the bottle andinto contact with'heating device 52 and that at the proper'time in relation to both of these movements, the hammer lever 126 will strike shear actuating rod 114and drive it downward against the action of compression spring 116 to thereby force upper shear member 108 over the blade of lower shear member 106 and'thus sever a piece 54 of pa- 1 per 56 and leave said piece in the position shown in Figure 1 on the top of the bottle 50 ready for the action'of the closure applying mechanism. i 7 all 'parts attached to it,

Frame- 104 and I heretofore described, are suspended from the main frame v14 by a pair of parallel bracket arms 152, each 'having alaterally 'extending, vertically disposed foot 154 bearing against a plate156 which is itself se-' cured to the frame by bolts 158. These feet 154 are detachably secured to this plate 156 a bottle-50 in gripping re-.

with reference to the main frame in conformity with the raising or lowering of bot tle gripping jaws 46, as heretofore described, thus allowing the machine to be adjusted within limits to take and work upon bottles 50 of different heights.

Rigid with plate 156, heretofore described, and in the particular case here illustrated, integral therewith, is a horizontally disposed, eavy bracket 166 carrying at its forward or left hand end, as viewe in Fi ure 1, the small bracket 62 heretofore descri ed. The body of this bracket 166 is recessed to form a gear chamber 168 within which are located two horizontally disposed, intermeshing gears 170 and 172. Gear 172 is rigid on a vertical shaft 173 which is power driven from shaft 72 by intermeshing evel gears 174 and 176. Gear 170 is located between thrust bearing plates 17 8 and drives through a spline connection a vertically reci rocal hollow shaft 182 journaled in suita is vertically extending bear ings 183 formed upon bracket 166. The

of gear 170 with reference to the shaft-this to not only take care of the normal vertical reciprocation of shaft 182 in ordinary-open. ation of the machine on bottles of adiffer e'nt size, but to allow for adjustment of the shaft and attached parts vertically throughcollar 184 as may be necessary when it isdesired to adapt the machine to a different size of bottle 50 as heretofore suggested. In the normal operation of the machine, collar 1n e connection 180 permits substantial vertical movement of shaft 182 through gear 170 without disturbing the driving relation 184 is rigidly secured to shaft'182 by any suitable means, as, for instance, set screw 186 a and rotates with shaft 182. Collar 184 is providedwith a circumferential groove 188 entered by horizontally extending arm 190 on vertically reciprocal bar 192 carrying at its upper end cam roller 194 traveling in cam track 1.96 in a side face of wheel 70 heretofore referred to. The body of bar 192 is provided with an elongated'slot 197 of suflicient dimensions to take in shaft 72 and permit necessary vertical movement of the closure a plying mechanism, still to bedescribed. s wheel 70 rotates, the cam;

track 196 forcesshaft 182 to reciprocate 1 through a vertical path measured by the shape of said cam track. j Shaft; 182 is ,cylindrically recessed from its lower end to receive reciprocal and rotatable piston198 normally urgeddownward by a compression s i'in 200 in the u or end of the recess iIi side: of shaft 182. PAn air vent to said spring and the upper end of said piston is provided through a passage 202 in the upper and otherwise solid end of shaft 182. When piston 198 has once been positioned inside of shaft 182, it is kept from dropping belowthe position shown in Figure 1 by a suitable pin 204 entering the side of the shaft.

Piston 198 is itself provided with a central recess 206 occupied by a compression invention and therefore not detailed.

spring 208 accessible to air admitted through a passage 216 in the upper end of piston 198, communicating with the chamber in shaft 182 occupied by spring 200. The lower end of spring 208 engages and presses downward a cylindrical piston rod 212 retained against excessive travel lengthwiseof piston 198 by a spline and slot mechanism 214.

The lower end of piston rod 212 carries the circular disc 216 of the proper size to enter-the neck of the bottle 50 and form a flat drum-head-like portion ofpaper 54 on which advertising matter or data relating to the particular contents of the particular bottle may be placed. The lower end of piston 198 carries a bottle neck end engaging member 218 adapted to, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, clamp the portion of paper piece 54 outside of portion 54" rigidly upon the neck rim 48' of the bottle 50 and hold the piece of paper in that position while the paper is being wrapped about the sides of the neck of the bottle as hereafter more fully described. This member 218 is provided with an internal bottom recess 220 adapted to receive disc 216, as clearly shown in Figures 9 and 10. The lower end of piston 198 is provided with an inverted, semispherical cam surface 222, terminating immediately adjacent to member 218 in cylindrical surface 224 of smaller diameter.

The lower extremity of hollow shaft 182 terminates in a horizontally disposed flange 226 perforated for and carrying a multiplicity of-in the particular case here illustrated, four-vertically disposed bolts 228 arranged in a circle about the center of the flange 226 and the center of said shaft 182. The upper portions of these bolts are rigidly secured to the flange 226 by any suitable conventional means, such as the flanges 230 and the nuts 232, not entering into this The bolts are of suflicient length so as to provide downwardly extending post portions 234 terminating in nuts 236 and washers 238.

" Hung upon each post portion 234 of each bolt 228 is a Z-shaped member 240 carrying at its lower end downwardly pointed paper engaging finger 242. detachably secured in place by any suitable means, 'as, for instance, a screw 244. The u perhorizontal member 246 of each Z-mem er 240 is provided with a U-shaped notch 248 within which the post 234 of its adjacent bolt 228 loosely slips so that each finger 242 and the 2 member 240 which supports it is free to move between the positions of Figures 1 and 10. The members 246 are, as shown in Figure 12, of generally triangular cross section separated one from another by slight spaces 250 which allow for a slight amount of play in a horizontal plane between adjacent members 240 and the fingers 242 carried by them. The fingers 242 are normally held in the position or positions of Figures 1, 7 and 9 by a continuous rotractile spring 252 positioned as shown in the drawings in the upper lateral recesses of these Z-shapcd members 240, the upper portions 246 of the Z-members being so shaped as shown as to permit this position of the Z members without the upper portions 246 of the Z members entirely escaping from the posts 234. The upper portions of the Z members 240 are provided with downwardly inclined, angular face; 256 which, in the positions of Figures 1, 7 and 9 engage the cam faces 222 of piston 198, heretofore referred to and the lower sections of the 2 members 240 are provided with recesses 258 adapted to in the position of Figure 10 receive bottle neck and engaging memher 218. As piston member 198 ascends or shaft 182 and flange 226 descends with reference to said piston, cam face 222 is withdrawn from engagement with face 256 of the 2- members, whereupon the spring 252 draws the Z-members and attached fingers 242 to the position of Figure 10, whereby in passing from the position of Figure 9 to that of Figure 10, the fingers 242 force the lower edges of paper section 54 downward to the position of Figure 10 and u on shaft 182 being rotated, and consequent y fingers 242 being given rotary motion, the paper is formed into overlapping folds 260 clearly 'ap caring in Figure 8.

'ummarizing the operation of the paper applying mechanism just described, assume that the parts are all in the position of Figure 1 with a piece of waxed-specifically, paraflined paper-over the bottle 50, and being heated by the coil 52. Cam 196, driven by shaft 72, first causes the entire paper applying mechanism carried by shaft 192 to descend from-the position of Figure 1 to a point at which disc 216 enters the neck of the bottle and places section 54 of the paper in the position shown in Figures 9 and 10. At this instant, cam 68 causes arms 46 to swing the heating pads 52 to the dotted line position of Figure 4 and almost simultaneously therewith, further downward movement of shaft 182 causes spring 200 to sufiiciently compress piston 198 to force bottle neck engaging member 218 into place upon the neck rim 48, as shown in Figure 11.

ill)

loo

Further da i to original position.

gers 242.

scent of shaft 182, continuously rotated by gearing 170-172, causes the fingers 242 to engage and rotatably wipe paper iece 54 to form folds 260. As the piece 0 paper 54 was heated sufficiently by the pads 52 to soften the paraffine or other Wax on the under surface, such wax surface adheres to the bottle or to adjacent under-folded parts of paper and complete sealing of the bottle is thus effected. On completion of thisapplication of the closure to the bottle, cam 196 causes the bottle engaging mechanism, just described, to reverse the o erations just described and withdraw from t e position of Figure 10 to that of Fi re 1 so that another bottle can be broug t into position for sealing on the next rotation of shaft 72.

When it is desired to adjust the machine for use on slightly lower or higher bottles 'thanthose shown in the drawing, bolts .or

screws 42, 44, 96, 160 and 186 are loosened so that vertical movement of shaft 182 with reference to collar 184 and vertical movement of the arms 46 with reference to the bottle top and vertical movement of the frame 104 and attached parts with reference to the bottle top may be effected, whereafter said bolts or screws are tightened to secure the parts in their positions. of desired adjustment. Y 7

Summarizing the complete operation of the machine, each bottle is placed in position in alignment with the central axis of shaft 182, this being done either by hand why the machine moved belt 22, orotherwise. As the bottle is put in position, arms 46 carrying heating pads 52 grasp it and hold it for;a suflicient length of time for rollers 140 and 142 to deliver some paper 56 across the top of the bottle in enga ement with the pads 52, on the completion 0 which movement, knife 108 descends and severepiece. of paper 54 from the main bod 56 of. paper. As soon as the aper has n severed and has become s ciently warm, which takes only a moment, the cam mechanism causes the descent of shaft 182 and attached parts, first applying member 216 to the center of the paper on the top of the bottle, then applying "member 218 to the rim of the bottle and finall applying rotating fingers 242, to the outsi e of the neck of the bottle, thus forming and sealing creases 260. As soon as this operation is completed, the.

machine parts withdraw in reverse order As heretofore noted, the heatin pads 52 are withdrawn from the bottle 11 simultaneousl with member .216 entering the. bottle nec and so get out of the way .ofdescending, rotating fin- The material efiectingi the closure of the bottle has been described as paper but," obviously, any other suitable flexible closure material may be used without departing from this invention and the word paper is used in the claims in this broad sense.

As clearly shown in Figure 8, the paper on the neck of a single bottle.

Pistons 198 and 212 do not, in the operation of applying the capand particularly after parts carried by them come in contact with the paper 54rotate. In other words,

there is no frictional action between mem her 216 and the paper during the capping operation. I

.Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In mechanism of the class described, a rotatable hollow shaft (182). provided at an open end with a flange, posts (234) extending from said flange at the 'side of said shaft, bottle engaging finger mechanismsloosely connected to said posts for swinging movement to and from the axis of the shaft, a piston reciprocal inside the shaft having at its outer end a bottleengaging member and adjacent thereto a cam en aging said fingers, means yieldingly hol mg said fingers against said cam, means moving the shaft along the piston when the bottle en aging open end with a flange, posts (234) extend-' mg from said flan e at the side of said shaft, bottle engaging nger mechanisms loosely connected to said posts for swinging movement to and from the axis of the shaft, a piston-reciprocal inside the shaft havingat its outer end a bottle engaging member and adjacent thereto a cam en aging'said fingers, means yieldingly hol ing said fingers against said cam, means, movin g the shaft alon the piston when the bott e en aging mem er is stationary to release said 11 ers from said cam and permit said hol ing mechanism to draw the fingers into engagedevices movable into and out of engagement 'ment with the side of a bottle against whose i with the neckof a bottle on the table, means feeding a strip of paper across the top of such a bottle neck and the heating devices,

means severing the portion of paper over the bottle neck and heating devices from the remainder of the paper, means thereafter wrapping the heated, severed piece of paper about the sides of the neck of the bottle on the table to seal the bottle, and means driven by said power shaft for actuating the previously enumerated mechanisms in proper order to effect sealing of the bottle.

4. In mechanism of the class described, an upstanding frame, a power shaft in the upper part of the frame, a bottle supporting table in the lower part of the frame, heating devices movable into and out of engagement with the neck of a bottle on the table, means feeding a strip of paper across the top of such a bottle neck and the vheating devices, means severing the portion of paper over the bottle neck and heating devices from the remainder of the paper, means thereafter wrapping the heated, severed piece of paper about the sides of the neck of the bottle on the table to seal the bottle, means driven by said power shaft for actuating the previously enumerated mechanisms in proper order to efl'ect'sealing of the bottle, and means permitting adjustment of the enumerated bottle working mechanisms to different positions between the table and power shaft as heights ofdifierent bottles to be placed on the table may require.

5. In a container capping machine, means for clamping a sheet of material against a container. across the filling opening thereof, means rendering the container engaging side of said sheet of 'material adhesive after placement of the same in engagement with the container across the filing opening thereof, and means for forcingthe outer portions of the material into engagement with the outside of the container;

6. In a container capping mechanism, means for holding a sheet of material, coated with a substance softenable to render it adhesive, against a container across the fil1- ing opening thereof, means operating, after placement of said sheet of material in engagement with the container across the fillmg opening thereof, to soften and render said coating material adhesive, and means for forcing said material into en agement with the container whereby it will e caused to adhere to the latter and close thefilling opening thereof.

7. In a container capping mechanism, means for holding a sheet of material, coated with a substance softenable by heat to render it adhesive, across the filling opening of a container, means operating, after placement of said sheet of material across the filling opening of the container, to apply heat to said coating material thereby to soften emme and render the same adhesive, and means forcing said material into engagement with the container whereby it will be caused to adhere to the latter and close the filling opening thereof.

8. In a container capping mechanism, a cam, a shaft reciprocahle and rotatable with respect to said cam, and a member carrying a finger adapted to force side portions of a sheet of material disposed across the filling opening of a container into engagement with the outside of the container and to wipe said side portions into overlapping folds against the container, said member including'a pair of spaced arms and an intermediate portion connecting the same, one of said arms being connected with said shaft and the other having said finger attached thereto, and yieldable meansholding said intermediate portion in contact with said cam. I

9. In a container capping mechanism, a cam, a shaft reciprocahle and rotatable with respect to said cam, and a plurality of members each carrying a finger adapted to force said portions of a sheet material disposed across the filling opening of a container into engagement with the outside of the container and to wipe said side portions into overlapping folds against the container, said members each including a pair of spaced arms and an intermediate portion connecting the same, one arm of each member being connected with said shaft and the other arm of each member having a finger attached thereto, and yieldable means holding the intermediate portions of all of said members in contact with said cam, said members being arranged in a circle around said cam and each including a flange portion of substantially triangular shape closely approaching the corresponding flange portions of adjacent member circumferentially with respect to said cam.

10. In mechanism of the class described, a container support, means for delivering a sheet of material, coated with a substance softenable b heat to render it adhesive, across the ling opening of a container positioned on said support, a movable heating device, means for moving said device to and from a position in which it will soften the coating substance on a sheet of material disposed across the filling opening of a container positioned on said support, and means for forcing said sheet of material into engagement with the container whereby it will be caused to adhere thereto and close the filling o enin thereof.

11. In mechanism of the class described, in combination, a container support, means for feeding the end portion of a stri of material, coated with a substance softenable by heat to render it adhesive, across the filling opening of a container positioned on said support, means for severing from said strip of material the end portion thereof disposed across the filling opening of the container, heating devices, means for moving said devices to and from a position in which they will soften the coating substance on the severed portion of said strip of material, and means for forcing said sheet of material into engagement with the container whereby it will be caused to adhere thereto and close the filling opening thereof.

I 12. In a container capping mechanism, a rotatable hollow shaft, a reciprocal piston disposed partially within and extending beyondone end of said shaft, a post carried by said shaft, said post being located at the side of the projecting portion of said piston, the projecting portion of said piston being provided with a camface, a bottle engaging member disposed against the projecting portion of said piston for cooperation with said cam face, yieldable means holding-said member constantly in engagement with the projecting portion of said piston, a pair of spaced fingers on said member respectively engaging opposite sides of said post to prevent rotation of said member with respect to said shaft and to permit said member to move bodily towards and from the axis of said piston,

means for rotating said shaft, and means for reciprocating said piston with respect to said shaft.

13. In a container capping mechanism, a

rotatable hollow shaft, a reciprocal piston disposed being provided with a cam face, a bottle engaging member disposed against the projecting' portion of said piston for cooperation with said cam face, yieldable means holding said member constantly in engage-. ment with the projecting portion of said piston, a pair of spaced lingers on said member respectively engaging opposite sides of said post to prevent rotation of said member with respect to said shaft and to permit said member to move bodily towards and from the axis of said piston, means limiting movement of said member longitudinally in both directions with respect to said post, means for rotating said shaft, and means for reciprocating said piston with respect to said shaft.

In witness whereof, Ihave hereunto subscribed my name.

RUSSELL J. SMITH. 

